Terry Dean Hamblin

Terry Dean Hamblin (1954-2026)

Terry Dean Hamblin-known proudly as "Uncle T"-has officially cashed in his chips.

The Early Days: Cinnamon Rolls and CB Radios

Terry's journey began on October 19, 1954, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was born to Dr. Rodney D. Hamblin and Lexie A. (Clester) Hamblin. As a child, he clung to-and was adored by-his Grandma "Honey." He was named after Notre Dame football legend Terry Brennan, a heavy mantle he carried with absolute vocal dedication.

Terry was soon joined by his siblings: Kelly, Kimberly, and Timothy. The family moved to Derby, Kansas, in 1959.

Terry's legendary "work ethic" began at Swaney Elementary. Originally a skinny kid, he happily volunteered in the school kitchen, where he discovered that the secret to life was unlimited cinnamon rolls. Terry was never skinny again.

Terry loved being in the Boy Scouts, earned the God and Country Award, and proudly became an Eagle Scout. He graduated from Derby Senior High School in 1972, then earned an accounting degree from Emporia State-all while driving a mile-long Lincoln covered in enough antennas to communicate with deep space. His campus-wide CB radio handle was "The Beaver," a title he wore with unironic pride.

Law, Lottery, and the Kremlin

Not content with merely counting money, Terry conquered Washburn Law School. He excelled in state government, serving as Director of Property Valuation before Governor Mike Hayden appointed him Assistant Attorney General.

As the first legal muscle for the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission, Terry quite literally helped bring the lottery and casinos to Kansas. You're welcome.

His legal "brilliance" eventually took him abroad. While serving as an American diplomat, Terry traveled to Russia and the Republic of Georgia to negotiate the finer things in life-specifically, high-stakes poker and top-shelf vodka.

Parrotheads, Bad Habits, and Broad Vocabularies

When he wasn't negotiating with foreign powers, Terry was a permanent fixture on his favorite barstool at The Sandbar in Lawrence. He lived by the gospel of Jimmy Buffett, chasing beaches, ballads, and bars whenever possible.

He fueled his days with an alarming amount of Diet Mountain Dew and spent his later years earning yet another degree, this time in library science. He then shushed people professionally until the library finally made him "retire".

Terry never had children, which was a massive win for his nieces and nephews. He adored them, stepped up as their honorary troublemaker, and aggressively taught them how to fish, mow only in straight lines, gamble, overeat, and develop various other highly entertaining bad habits. He was fiercely loyal, deeply caring, and always did things entirely his own way.

He was also a proud former president of the Derby USD 260 Board of Education and a member of the KSHSAA Board of Directors. While Terry was never destined for an athletic hall of fame himself, his love for the Derby Panthers, Notre Dame football, and Kansas Jayhawks basketball ran deep.

The sheer volume of colorful, unrepeatable words that erupted from Terry during a bad Fighting Irish play could easily fill a French dictionary.

The Final Tally

Terry loved the city of Derby, the state of Kansas, NPR, his family, and of course a good card game.

We will deeply miss Uncle T-the man who proved that you can be an accountant, an attorney, an international poker diplomat, a librarian, and a professional instigator, all in one lifetime.

Go Panthers! Go Irish! And save us a place at the Monopoly table upstairs!

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 1pm on Wednesday, August 26, 2026 at Smith Family Mortuary, 1415 North Rock Road, Derby, Kansas 67037.